So, I’ve covered how to use sweet potatoes as a savory food with my tasty beef burgers with sweet potato fries but today I’m going to show you how you can use the natural sweetness of these potatoes to your advantage!
As dessert!
Imagine, if you will, a pie shell with a creamy, cooked custard inside.
Now imagine it tastes like gingerbread!
Well, that is what this American classic the sweet potato pie, is like.
Just delicious!
This pie is much like a pumpkin pie but since sweet potatoes are getting much easier to find here in UK supermarkets whereas pumpkins are only available for a short time seasonally, this potato version is something you can enjoy many times a year!
To tell you a secret, this really isn’t a pie, it’s a tart, so you’ll need a 9 inch tart tin with a removable bottom for this!
American Sweet Potato Pie (tart!)
Serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
For the filling
500g sweet potato
125g softened butter
200g caster sugar
125ml milk
2 free range eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
For the crust
375g shortcrust pastry, rolled
Butter for greasing
Method
Place the sweet potatoes, whole with skin on, in a large pot of water and bring to the boil.
Cook the sweet potatoes depending on size, for around 40 to 50 minutes, until fully tender.
Place the potatoes in a colander and run them under cold water until cool enough to touch.
Peel the sweet potatoes by hand and break them up in a large bowl.
In a stand mixer or by hand, mash the potatoes until smooth, adding in the butter and mixing again until smooth.
Stir in the sugar, then gradually add in the milk and eggs until smooth.
Add the nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla extract and stir in.
Preheat the oven to 180oc.
Grease the tart tin with butter and add in the rolled shortcrust pastry.
Press the pastry into the dish and cut the excess hanging over the edges.
Place the tin on a sturdy baking tray and pour in the sweet potato mixture.
Bake in the oven to 55 to 60 minutes, until a skewer probed into the middle comes out clean.
Enjoy warm or cold.
Beautiful with vanilla ice cream!